William Maxwell Gaines

William Maxwell Gaines (born March 1, 1922, New York, New York, U.S.—died June 3, 1992, New York City) was an American publisher who launched Mad magazine (1952), an irreverent monthly with humorous illustrations and writing that satirized mass media, politicians, celebrities, and comic books. Gaines served in the U.S. Army during World War II, which interrupted his studies at New York University (B.S., 1948). He inherited EC (Educational Comics) after his father died in 1947...